Variable gearing.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLCORD UPTON, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UPTON MACHINECOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW' YORK.

VARIABLE GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,173, dated November19, 1901.

Application filed March 18,1901. Serial No. 51,644. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, COLCORD UPTON, a citizen of the United States,residingin Beverly,

Essex county, State of Massachusetts, have` invented and producedcertain new and useful Improvements in Variable Gearing, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide gearing in compact form withthe parts in ro substantial alinement adapted to transmit motion inopposite directions as required from a main driver to the parts to bedriven and wherein the latter are permitted to have differential motion.In carrying out my invention I provide a driving part and a pair ofdriven parts, between which driving and driven parts are interposedgearing for producing rotationof the driven parts in the same directionas that 2o of the driving part, as well as in the reverse direction, anddifferential gearing adapted to permit the driven parts to rotate atdiifereut speeds in opposite directions.

The invention further consists in the novel z 5 details ofimprovement,that willbe more fully hereinafter set forth and thenpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part hereof,wherein-- 3o Figure 1 is a central section of a gearing embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on the plane of the line 2 2 in Fig.1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 3 is a side View,partly in section. 3 5 In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1indicates a driving part, which is secured, as by a key, upon a hollowshaft or sleeve 2, that is mounted to rotate freely upon a shaft 3,which may be supported in suitable bearings, (not shown,) and upon theshaft 3 is a hollow shaft or sleeve 3a, which may also be supported insuitable bearings. (Not shown.) Theparts 8 3a are in the presentillustration of my invention the main parts to be driven, and they mayrespectively be attached to the driving-wheels of a motor carriage orautomobile.

The transmission or reversing gearing which I have shown is as follows:

4is a support or disk secured upon shaft or sleeve 2 and shown providedwith a hub 4", keyed to said shaft 2, and 5 is a cam-sleeve or the likeadapted to slide upon hub 4a.

6 is adisk mounted to rotate freely upon shaft 2 and provided 'with aflange 6a, the 55 parts 4, 6, and 6a forming a chamber within which an,expansible split friction-ring 7 is located, adapted to frictionallyengage the flange 6, being shown connected with the support 4 by a screw8, 9 being a spreader located 6o between the ends of ring 7 andsecuredto an arm 10, that extends over the shaft 3 in position to bemoved outwardly by the sleeve 5 to cause the part 9 to expand the ring 7to lock the parts 4 and 6 together; but any suit- 65 able means may beprovided for locking the parts together, if preferred. The disk ormember 6 is to be held from rotation at certain times, which may be doneby a brake-band 11, fitting within the peripheral groove 6b, any 7owell-known means being utilized for supporting and operating said band.

To the disk or member 6 are connected one or more pinions or gears 12,shown mounted uponapivotorspindlel, carried bythemember 6, and in meshwith a gear 14 on shaft 2, and the pinion or pinions 14 also mesh withan internal rack 15, that is carried by or formed on an annular orring-like member 16, the member 16 being shown surrounding a 8o bushing17, encircling shaft 2. The ring or member 16 is secured to a support ormember 18, that is primarily to be operated in reverse directions, asthe case may require. The member 16 is shown provided with a pro- 85jection 16h, secured to the member 18 by a screw 19, therevbeing anysuitable number of such projections and screws, preferably three.

By this means a space is provided between the ring or annular member 16and the mem- 9o ber 1S in which one or more pinions or gears 20 arelocated and supported by spindles or pivots 21, shown connected at theends to both members 16 and 18, whereby a firm support for said pivotsis afforded and said members are rigidly connected. The pinions or gears2O are in mesh with a gear 22 on shaft 2, and the pinions 2O are also inmesh with an annular rack 23, which may be separate from and secured toor made integral with a roo ring 23a, which is guided to rotate aroundthe member 16, the latter being provided with an annularguideway for thepurpose. The member 16 is also shown provided with a radiallydisposedsurface 16e, lying between the pinion 12 and ring 23, and thus the parts23 23a are guided to rotate between parts 16c and 18. The rack 23 isadapted to be held from rotation at certain times, and for this purposeis shown provided with a peripheral groove 23", adapted to receive abrake-band 24, which may be supported and operated in any wellknownmanner.

By means of the parts above described it will be understood that whenthe support 6,

is frictionally connected with shaft 2 the part 18 will rotate in thesame direction as the shaft and at the same speed, because theintermediate parts will all be locked together; but if the friction isnot set the rack 23 will be held from rotation by the brake-band 24: andshaft 2 will rotate pinion 2O on its axis by means of gear 22, andthereupon said pinion will travel at aV relatively slow speed withinrack 23 in the direction of rotation of shaft 2, carrying around with itthe member 1S and the parts to be driven, thereby producing a relativelyslow speed of part 18 in the direction of rotation of shaft 2. When itis desired to reverse the direction of rotation of part 18, the member 6will be held from rotation while the friction device is disconnectedtherefrom, and thereupon the gear 14 will rotate the pinion 12 upon itsaxis and the latter will cause rack 16 to rotate oppositely to thedirection of rotation of shaft 2, the part 18 and the parts to be driventhereby being correspondingly rotated. The pinion 2O at this timerotates freely on its axis and causes the rack 23 to rotate freely,whereby no interference in the gearing occurs.

The parts 3 and 3a are connected with the part 18 by differentialgearing, and for this purpose I have shown a bevel-gear 25 secured uponshaft 2, as by a key 25, the hub of the part 18 being shown journaledupon the hub of gear 25, and to the part 3 is secured a gear 26, as by akey 26, and to the part 18 is secured a frame or housing 27, that isshown provided with a hub 27a, journaled on the hub of gear 26. Theframe or housing 27 is shown provided with a removable portion 27",

having a rim 27c lying within a flange 27d,

screws 31 being shown as holding said parts 27 27b together. The gears25 and 26 face each other, and interposed between them and meshingrespectively therewith are one or more pinions 28, shown mounted uponspindles 29, suitably secured in hubs 30 or the like on frame 27. Theframe or housing 27 incloses the differential gearing substantiallydust-tight.

By the arrangement shown all the parts of the gearing are mountedsubstantially concentrically and in horizontal alinement upon shaft 3,the shafts 3 and 3 being the main supporting-shafts of the device, andby having the support 18 journaled on the hub of gear 25 and the frame27 journaled on the hub of gear 26 the parts are maintained in relativepositions and the gears of the differential train are held in properalinement. 1n whichever direction and at whichever speed the part 18 isrotated by the variable gearing the differential gearing will cause theparts 3 and 3u to rotate in the same direction, and if either part 3 or3"L meets a resistance then the other one will be enabled to rotate atsuch relative speed as may be necessary to compensate for thedifference. By the arrangement shown all the parts are compact and themoving parts are contained within protectingcovers to exclude dust, andthe entire gearing will be eflcient in its operation.

I do not limit my invention to the details of construction shown anddescribed, as they may be varied without departing from the spiritthereof.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination ofa driving part, a pair of driven parts, differential gearing connectedtherewith, means for locking the driving part in connection with thedifferential gearing, a rack connected with the diiferential gearing,means for rotating said rack by the driving part, a loose rack, a pinionin mesh therewith and connected with the differential gearing, means forrotating said pinion by the driving part, and means for limitingrotation of the loose rack, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a driving part, a member rotative independentlythereof, a rack connected with said member, means for rotating said rackby the driving part, a loose rack, means to limit rotation thereof,gearing connecting said rack with the driving part and with saidmember,- means for locking the driving part in connection with saidmember, a pair of driven parts, and differential gearing connecting saidparts with said member, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve surrounding the same,differential gearing connecting said shaft and sleeve, a hollow shaftsurrounding said first-mentioned shaft, a driving part connected withthe hollow shaft, gearing connecting the hollow shaft with thedifferential gearing, and gearing connecting the hollow shaft with thedifferential gearing to rotate the latter in a direction reverse to thedirection of rotation of the hollow shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve sur rounding the same,differential gearing connecting said shaft and sleeve, a hollow shaftsurrounding said first-mentioned shaft, a driving part connected withthe hollow shaft, gearing connecting the hollow shaft with thedifferential gearing, gearing connecting the hollow shaft with thedifferential gearing to rotate the latter in a direction reverse to thedirection of rotation of the hollow shaft, and means for locking thehollow shaft in connection with the second-mentioned gear- IOO IIO

ing to rotate the latter and the differential gearing at the same speedas the hollow shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a shaft-,and a sleeve surrounding the same,diierential gearing connecting them, a frame or housing supporting thepinions of said gearing, a rotative member connected with said frame orhousing and mounted concentrically around said shaft, gearing to rotatesaid member in one direction, gearing for rotating said member in theopposite direction, a driving part for operating said gearing, and meansfor locking the driving part in connection with said member to rotatethem at the same speed, substantially as described.

G. The combination of a shaf t, a sleeve surrounding the same, a gearsecured to said shaft and provided with a hub, a gear secured to saidsleeve and provided with a hub, a member journaled on the hub of therstmentioned gear, a housing secured to said member and journaled on thehub of the second-mentioned gear, one or more pinions carried by saidhousingin mesh with said gears,

gearing for rotating said member in one direction, gearing for rotatingsaid member in the reverse direction, and a driving part for operatingsaid gearing, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve surrounding the same, a gearsecured to said shaft and provided with a hub, a gear secured to saidsleeve and provided with a hub, a member journaled on the hub of thefirstmentioned gear, a housing secured to said member and journaled onthe hub of the second-mentioned gear, one or lnore pinions carried bysaid housing in mesh with said gears, gearing for rotating said memberin one direction, gearingfor rotating said member in the reversedirection, and a driving part for operating said gearing, and means forlock ing said driving part in connection with said member to rotate themat the same speed.

COLCORD UPTON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL H. STONE, T. F. BOURNE.

